HUS they in lowliest plight repentant stood Praying, for from the mercy-seat above Prevenient grace descending had remov'd
The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh Regenerate grow instead, that sighs now breath'd Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer
Inspir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight Than loudest oratory: yet their port Not of mean suitors, nor important less
Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair In fables old, less ancient yet than these, Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore The race of Mankind drown'd, before the shrine Of Themis stood devout. To Heav'n their prayers Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds 15 Blown vagabond or frustrate: in they pass'd Dimensionless through heavenly doors; then clad With incense, where the golden altar fum'd, By their great intercessor, came in sight
Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son 20 Presenting, thus to intercede began.
"See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in Man, these sighs And pray'rs, which in this golden censer, mix'd
With incense, I, thy priest, before thee bring, Fruits of more pleasing savour from thy seed Sown with contrition in his heart, than those Which his own hand manuring all the trees Of Paradise could have produc'd, ere fall'n From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear 30 To supplication, hear his sighs though mute; Unskilful with what words to pray, let me Interpret for him, me his advocate
And propitiation; all his works on me,
Good or not good, ingraft, my merit those
Shall perfect, and for these my death shall pay. Accept me, and in me from these receive The smell of peace tow'rd mankind; let him live Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days
Number'd, though sad, till death, his doom, (which I To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)
To better life shall yield him, where with me All my redeem'd may dwell in joy and bliss, Made one with me, as I with thee am one."
To whom the Father, without cloud, serene.
"All thy request for Man, accepted Son, Obtain; all thy request was my decree: But longer in that Paradise to dwell, The law I gave to nature him forbids: Those pure immortal elements that know No gross, no unharmonious mixture foul, Eject him tainted now, and purge him off As a distemper, gross to air as gross,
And mortal food, as may dispose him best For dissolution wrought by sin, that first Distemper'd all things, and of incorrupt Corrupted. I at first with two fair gifts Created him endow'd, with happiness, And immortality: that fondly lost, This other serv'd but to eternize woe; Till I provided death; so death becomes His final remedy, and after life Try'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd
By faith and faithful works, to second life, Wak'd in the renovation of the just,
to 65 Resigns him up with Heaven and Earth renew'd. But let us call to synod all the Blest
Through Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not hide
My judgments, how with mankind I proceed, As how with peccant Angels late they saw, And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm'd." He ended, and the Son gave signal high To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps When God descended, and perhaps once more To sound at general doom. Th' angelic blast Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bowers Of amaranthine shade, fountain or spring, By the waters of life, where'er they sat In fellowships of joy, the sons of light Hasted, resorting to the summons high, And took their seats; till from his throne supreme Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his sov'reign will. "O Sons, like one of us Man is become To know both good and evil, since his taste Of that defended fruit; but let him boast His knowledge of good lost, and evil got; Happier had it suffic'd him to have known Good by itself, and evil not at all.
He sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite, 00 My motions in him; longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain
Self-left. Lest therefore his now bolder hand 01
Reach also of the tree of life, and eat, And live for ever, dream at least to live For ever, to remove him I decree, And send him from the garden forth to till The ground whence he was taken, fitter soil. "Michael, this my behest have thou in charge;
Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriors, lest the Fiend,
Or in behalf of Man, or to invade
Vacant possession, some new trouble raise: Haste thee, and from the Paradise of God, Without remorse, drive out the sinful pair, From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce To them and to their progeny from thence Perpetual banishment. Yet, lest they faint At the sad sentence rigorously urg'd, For I behold them soften'd, and with tears Bewailing their excess, all terror hide. If patiently thy bidding they obey, Dismiss them not disconsolate; reveal To Adam what shall come in future days,
As I shall thee enlighten; intermix
My covenant in the Woman's seed renew'd;
So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace: And on the east side of the garden place,
Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs, Cherubic watch, and of a sword the flame Wide waving, all approach far off to fright, And guard all passage to the tree of life: Lest Paradise a receptacle prove
To Spirits foul, and all my trees their prey,
With whose stol'n fruit Man once more to delude."
He ceas'd; and th' archangelic Pow'r prepar'd
For swift descent, with him the cohort bright
Of watchful cherubim; four faces each Had, like a double Janus, all their shape
Spangled with eyes, more numerous than those 130 Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drowse, Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the past'ral reed Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Meanwhile To re-salute the world with sacred light, Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews embalm'd 135 The earth, when Adam and first matron Eve Had ended now their orisons, and found Strength added from above, new hope to spring Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet link'd; Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. 140
Eve, easily may faith admit that all
The good which we enjoy from Heav'n descends'; But that from us ought should ascend to Heaven So prevalent as to concern the mind Of God high-blest, or to incline his will, Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer Or one short sigh of human breath, upborne Ev'n to the seat of God. For since I sought By pray'r th' offended Deity to' appease, Kneel'd, and before him humbled all my heart, 150 Methought I saw him placable and mild, Bending his ear; persuasion in me grew That I was heard with favour; peace return'd Home to my breast, and to my memory
His promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe; Which then not minded in dismay, yet now Assures me that the bitterness of death
Is past, and we shall live. Whence hail to thee, Eve rightly call'd, mother of all mankind, Mother of all things living, since by thee Man is to live, and all things live for Man." To whom thus Eve with sad demeanour meek. "ll worthy I such title should belong To me transgressor, who, for thee ordain'd A help, became thy snare; to me reproach Rather belongs, distrust and all dispraise: But infinite in pardon was my Judge,
That I, who first brought death on all, am grac'd The source of life; next favourable thou, Who highly thus to' entitle me vouchsaf'st,
Far other name deserving. But the field
To labour calls us now with sweat impos'd, Though after sleepless night; for see the morn, All unconcern'd with our unrest, begins Her rosy progress smiling; let us forth, I never from thy side henceforth to stray, Where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoin'd Laborious, till day droop; while here we dwell, What can be toilsome in these pleasant walks? Here let us live, tho' in fall'n state; content." 180
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